Taking a Chance
by xsilentlyxscreamingx
Summary: It's been going on long enough. Lucy needed to take a chance. It just so happens that she isn't the only one who needs to do so. Conclusion of Second Best.


_Wow. Seven Reviews. Six Favorites. I guess you can see what motivated me to make an accompanying piece. Thank you **so much**, you guys. It really means a lot to a lonely writer like myself. Love you all!_

**X-X**

Lucy couldn't take her eyes from the group of friends in the pool. Splashing, laughing, acting like they were the entire world to one another and nothing else was of importance to them in that moment. She debated on changing and going down to the pool to join them. But she decided against it. With James, Carlos, Logan and their respective girlfriends together, she'd be the seventh wheel. When the Wonder Twins joined them -_and they always did_-, she'd be the ninth.

Lucy never much too cared for odd numbers.

Letting out a puff of air, she turned and sat on her tiny couch. Her eyes were focused on the television, but her mind was elsewhere. And she hated it.

Nearly eight weeks had passed since Jo Taylor made her reappearance at The Palmwoods. Two months had passed since Lucy's heart started to shatter. Again. Even after being formally introduced by Camille, Lucy couldn't really bring herself to hate the small girl. She was kind. Friendly. Smart. Kind of like a certain twin that need not be named. She just hated what Josephine had. What she herself could not have.

Soon, the sometimes five-times-a-week nights shared by Kendall went from a few small chats during the day in her apartment or at the pool when he had free time to waves as they passed one another in the hall. Now, she was lucky to have any kind of form of communication from the blond.

Nothing changed between herself and the other boys. But then again, she wasn't head over heels for them. Nor could she picture it being that way. Lucy pictured the three boys as the slightly-annoying but still caring younger brothers that she'd always wanted. And Lucy wasn't really one for incest.

A buzz against wood knocked her back into the real world and she shook her head clear of her thoughts before looking down to the coffee table and picked up the cell phone.

_'r u at ur place?'_

She hadn't seen his number on her phone in so long, she almost had to re-read it to make sure he wasn't mistaking her for someone. Instead she just sent an affirmative text and shut the phone again, tossing it to the couch beside her. Lucy tossed her head back, not caring to wince as she hit the wall. She closed her eyes.

She didn't know how many minutes passed before a knock echoed through her apartment. Not bothering to get up, she shouted out, "It's open." she was willing to take the risk that it could have been a crazed ax murderer on the loose.

Her eyes opened and turned as she saw the door open and someone enter, the door shutting behind them. Brown connected with green. The feelings that she was so desperately trying to overcome came back and slapped her across the face like a bucket of cold water.

"Hi."

Lucy had to swallow before her voice allowed her to make any recognizable sounds. "Long time, no see." she managed.

Without saying a word, Kendall walked to the couch, tossing Lucy's phone aside and sat down next to her. He debated whether or not to make small talk before getting into the reason why he was here. He went with the latter. "I'm gonna say something and I just want you to listen and not interrupt me."

With a nod from the dark haired girl, Kendall began to speak after a long exhale. "I know how many times we'd be here talking at night and I said I'd do anything to have Jo back. But.." he paused. "Now she's here, something's off. I mean, I love that she's back and I love spending time with her. Something's missing."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Yes, she and Kendall had been close at one time and for quite a while. But wouldn't he rather much go to one of the three guys that he's been best friends with forever and a day to talk about his girl problems? "I just shrugged it off to being normal awkwardness from being apart for so long, so I gave it time. I-it's been two months now and it just doesn't feel right." he willed himself to stop looking everywhere but Lucy and finally allowed his eyes to gaze into hers.

"It's all in your head, Kendall. Just shrug it off to that awkwardness that comes with being apart for so long." she said, not knowing what else to say. He shook his head and disagreed.

"No. I mean, I thought that too. But, Jo confronted me. She saw it."

"Saw what?"

Biting down on his bottom lip, Kendall reached out and hesitantly put his hand on her cheek.

Lucy's eyes widened, her cheeks reddened, her heart pounded.

"That I had feelings for someone else. Sh-she wasn't mad because she said she'd be a hypocrite." Kendall then went on to explain about how Jo had a friend named Nick in New Zealand who worked as a director's assistant. Nick had become quite more than a friend. She couldn't bring herself to speak.

"We both wanted to make it work because what we had was special." Yeah, Lucy remembered during their nightly talks how he'd blurted out that he lost his virginity to the actress. How she was the first girlfriend he'd said the 'l' word to. And she could relate. After the incident with Lucas, it took her longer than she wanted to get over him. Even if it didn't mean anything to him, it did to her. You only get one virginity and hers was given to a guy who couldn't care less about her.

"But we couldn't. She said Nick was the only one in her mind. She asked me who it was that I was picturing every time we kissed."

Probably Camille. Or Stephanie. Wonder how James and Carlos would feel about Kendall fantasizing about their girlfriends. She'd joke about it with them later to get their input.

Still no words came from Lucy's mouth. That made Kendall's mouth more dry. Made his hands more sweaty. His chest throb. He was debating on just leaving the apartment. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

It was now or never.

Putting his other hand on Lucy's side, he leaned in and closed his eyes as he pressed their mouths together. He was waiting for her to push him away and to scream at him to leave.

Nothing.

Lucy was absolutely frozen. She was afraid that if she moved, then she'd wake up. She couldn't deal with waking in a lonely bed to wallow in her pathetic feelings. The dark haired girl finally allowed her hand to move and to rest upon Kendall's face, his light stubble scratching against the pads of her fingers.

She was still here. In her living room. With Kendall Knight's lips on hers.

Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to calm down and to relax. Lucy began to nervously kiss back. How did he do this? Since moving to California, she'd managed to put up a wall, a facade. And she'd been good at it.

Kendall was the only one who managed to see through it. He pushed through her wall. She should be smacking herself for letting someone in so easily. She was only setting herself up for hurt.

She pulled away, not willingly, but for oxygen. Lucy rested her forehead against his. Breathing in deeply, she spoke in a shaky breath. "Why? You can do better." she wondered. 'I'm damaged goods.'

"I don't want better. I want you, Lucy." Kendall said, out of breath. "All those nights I wanted to kiss you so bad. But I didn't because I knew how many times you'd been hurt. I didn't want to risk being put on that list." he explained. "Jo opened my eyes. She said she still loves me as a friend and friends need to be happy."

"Kendall, I don't know what to say."

Yes, she was heads over heels in love with him. Nothing would change that. But the little man inside her head was tormenting her, telling her that he'd eventually run back to Jo, leaving Lucy in her usual spot of second best.

"Say you'll give me a chance. Please." he pulled away just enough to look into Lucy's emotional brown eyes and so that she could peer into his heavy emerald ones.

She was in Los Angeles, the city of chances. It was time that Lucy took a chance. She has more people here than she's ever had back in Ohio. If something did happen, she'd have them to fall back onto. Not the normal falling back and no one catching her. This would be different.

She answered with a kiss. "I love you." she mumbled against his mouth.

Lucy felt the blond's mouth curve into a slight smile. "I know."

No other words were needed as the two stood and Kendall led her into the bedroom. He was determined to really let her know how much she meant to him. He was going to be there for her. Every step of the way.

Very few people saw the real Lucy Stone. Kendall felt privileged to be one of those few. He never wanted to let that go.

**X-X**

_What can I say? I think Lucy deserves a happy ending. With Jo coming back, I can tell there will be drama and it probably won't end in her favor. So **here you go**, beautiful. (:_


End file.
